A Rose for Ever After
by missrikkijackson
Summary: One-shot based on Rikki and Zane and most of all Rikki's feelings!...


**A Rose for Ever After**

_Life is a moment in space  
When the dream is gone  
Its a lonelier place  
I kiss the morning goodbye..._

It was the morning after the graduation party. Everybody was still sleeping, too tired from the party the previous night. Well, almost everybody. Rikki turned into her bed again for what was probably a fifteenth time that night. She couldn't sleep all night, deep in her thoughts. She was supposed to be so happy that school was over and that Zane finally stopped bugging her. But something was bothering her and she couldn't put her finger to it.

_Something about you,  
the stare in your eyes,  
everything I'm looking for I seem to find.  
All this time away,  
is killing me inside  
I need your love in my life..._

She tossed again and looked at the clock. It was 5 a.m. She sighed and realizing she wouldn't get any sleep at all, she got out of the bed. She put on the first t-shirt and trousers she found and she went out of her trailer. She closed her eyes feeling the cold morning breeze and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes again just in time to see the first colors of the sunrise. But this was not an ordinary sunrise. There was something different in the sunrise this time and Rikki could sense it. She went for a walk on the beach. The breeze was playing with her hair, while she was walking her eyes deep beyond the morning waves, deep in her thoughts. Whenever she was trying to think, whatever she was thinking about, one person was always in her thoughts. Zane.

_When eyes meet eyes  
And the feeling is strong  
I turn away from the wall  
I stumble and fall,  
but I give you it all..._

She remembered the very beginning of their relationship as it was just yesterday. She remembered what Zane used to be before they started to date and she remembered the way she changed him for better or worse. But who was the Zane she fell in love with? The handsome local bad boy who cared about nothing and no one or the one who now willed to put the world in her feet?

_Hold my hand, feel the touch of your body cling to mine  
You and me, makin' love all the way through another night  
I remember you and I walking though the park at night  
Kiss and touch, nothing much,  
let it blow just touch and go._

And why did she find it so hard to forgive him for that kiss with Sophie when she knew that Sophie was the one to blame and Zane wanted nothing to do with her? Why could she once forgive him for kissing Miriam, but now she couldn't forgive him being kissed by Sophie? Why did she found it so hard to open her heart for him again when she wanted it so bad?

_Feels like a fire,  
That burns in my heart.  
every single moment that we spend apart.  
I need you around,  
fir every day to start.  
I haven't left you alone!..._

Had this something to do with the fact how much she'd changed lately? Had this something to do with the fact that she was no longer a girl, but has turned into a young woman? These and many more questions she was asking herself, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't find the answers. She stopped walking and took one last look at the ocean, before diving into the waves. Because however she was feeling, the cold fresh sea water always made her feel better.

_Heaven's like water, water  
Drowning my soul, it feels like  
Heaven's like water, water  
People leave me alone  
Heaven's like water, water  
What am I to do?_

She swam randomly around the ocean for about 2 hours when she finally decided to go back. When she got out of the water and dried herself, she looked at her watch and realized her shift was about to start soon, so she headed to Rikki's. She went to the office to leave her bag was surprised to find Zane there, so early in the morning.  
- Good morning. - he said and tried to smile at her.  
But his smile was more like a fake then a real smile and Rikki could sense something was going on.  
- Good morning to you too. - she nodded only though.  
- Would you sit for a moment? I need to tell you something. - Zane said gently and pointed towards the sofa.  
She slowly moved and sat down. His hand was lying so close to her own that for a moment she felt the urge to grab it in hers and just hold it tight, but she fought with it well.  
- I don't know how exactly to say this, but...I'm leaving tomorrow.  
Rikki felt that if she wasn't sitting she'd fell to the ground.  
- You what? - she asked shocked.  
- I'm leaving. - he said. - My father is going to Romania for a business trip for a couple of months, and I'll go too. But I won't come back, I'll stay there.  
- But...why? Why are you leaving? And why so sudden?  
- Because I need some time off. I need...I need to get away from everything for a while. Besides now we're not a couple anymore and I have no reason to stay.  
Zane look at her with the sadness visible on his face. Rikki just stood there silent and motionless. She surprised to find out him leaving felt like he had just stabbed her heart with a knife.  
- Please say something. - he said pleading and took her hand in his.  
It was almost like he hoped she would ask him stay. And she wanted to ask him. She wanted to kiss his lips and beg him not to go, but he had made his decision and it was too late. She pulled her hand out of his grip and stood up.  
- There isn't much to say though, is it?  
He stood up too.  
- Rikki, please. - he said, but she interrupted him.  
- No, don't say anything. - she said her eyes filling with tears. - Just...just have a save flight, ok?! - and she did something that surprised him - she moved closer and hugged him.  
Then without saying anything else she walked away from the office, wiping the tear that threatened to roll down her cheek. Zane stood motionless, and watched her go, with one small tear falling down his one face, thinking about what just happened. She didn't ask him to stay. So she wanted him to go. But he was so terribly wrong.

_Fought in a battle, where nobody won,  
left ourselves a mountain to be overcome.  
You can't run away, the past the said and done,  
I need us to carry on..._

Rikki finished her shift almost like a robot. She couldn't think, she couldn't feel, she was just moving mechanically taking orders and serving the clients. She was thankful when Cleo came in the cafe, just when Bella finished her song, so they could go swimming. Because what Rikki needed now was one good swim. Later in the moon pool Bella and Cleo were in a deep conversation about what was the day for them, but Rikki just lyied silently next to them, deep in her thoughts about her bleeding heart. Noticing how quiet and distant Rikki suddenly appeared to be, Cleo and Bella shared worried looks.  
- So, how was your day? - Cleo asked her carefully.  
- Hmm, what? - Rikki said and turned to look at her. - Oh, not so good. Some clients were really awful and...Zane's leaving. - she let the last words slip from her mouth.  
- What? - Bella asked shocked. - But it's too sudden, even for Zane.  
- His father is going on a business trip and Zane's going with him. - Rikki said a matter-of-factly.  
- How do you feel about it? - Cleo asked her putting her hand on Rikki's shoulder.  
Rikki shrugged.  
- Fine. - she said simply.  
With that she might have fooled, Bella, but not Cleo. She put her arms around Rikki's shoulders pulling her for a hug, and Bella joined in.  
- Guys, don't... - Rikki mumbled, but they interrupted her.  
- Why don't you just shut up for once in your life and accept your best friends' giving you comfort?! - Cleo teased her and Rikki couldn't help but smile at that.  
She then put her hands around them too.  
- Thanks. - she said. - I needed that.  
- Always! - the answered with a smile.  
She felt slightly better and was now a little more enthusiastic about having a conversation with them, though inside she felt heartbroken. The girls spent the rest of the day talking about random stuff and making underwater races. When Rikki finally got home, she suddenly felt tired. She felt so exhausted of all the emotions she was feeling. She put on her pajamas and slid under the covers. She looked through the window seeing the last colors of the sunset and she thought about the next day and how when the sun is up again, Zane will be gone. One tear slid down her face as she closed her eyes and fell asleep dreaming about him. Then in the darkness of the night, the door of her trailer opened and someone came inside. He quietly walked over to her bed and put a small letter and a beautiful red rose next to her hand. In her sleep she suddenly moved and her hand pulled the paper and flower close to her heart. He smiled and instead her lips he gently kissed her forehead  
- I will always love you, Rikki Chadwick! - he whispered in her ear.  
He then walked back to the door and before closing it he turned around and whispered into the night:  
- Goodbye...stranger!  
With that a tear rolled down his face and he closed the door behind his back, disappearing into the night.  
The next morning when Rikki woke up she yawned and stretching her hands she saw the letter and the red rose. She took the flower in her hands and it's amazing smell made her smile a little. She then took the letter in her hands and opened it. She immediately recognized Zane's handwriting and started reading it:

_Rikki,  
When you read this letter I'd probably have left Australia, but I couldn't go without saying goodbye to the most important person in my life. I couldn't leave without saying for a billion time - I love you. I will always love you. Before I met you I had no idea what love is, but now I know. Before you came to my life, I didn't care about love, I didn't care about anything at all but now I do. Now I know how special love actually is and what an idiot I was to lose it. Love is like a bar of soap in the bathtub - you have it in your hand until you hold on too tight. And I understand now. I loved you so much and I was so scared to lose you, that I thought I have to grasp you in order to have you. I was so horribly wrong, because you slipped away from me like that wet bar of soap. So I'm sorry. I'm so terribly sorry for everything I ever did to you. You were the most special thing in my life and was the dumbest person in the world to lose you. I'm leaving Rikki's to you. I've bought it for you after all. I hope you'll have a lot of fun there with your friends! Whatever happens from now on, I want you to be very happy! And if the thought of me makes you sad, than forget me! Even though I will never forget you. In the end of my letter I'd like to thank you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for coming and changing my life. Thank you for making my life a heaven even only for a couple of years. Will's right, you are an angel and I feel the luckiest person in the world for having the chance to be with you! Whenever I go, whatever I do, you'll be always in my heart! I LOVE YOU!  
P.S. I'm leaving you this single rose, to remind you of our last Valentine's day together. A rose for ever after!..._

Finishing the last sentence she picked up her look and stood like that for a couple of seconds before jumping off the bed and putting on the first clothes she found. She ran out of her trailer and ran down to the beach. Fortunately for her there was a water way to the airport. She sped through the water as fast as she could her only goal to stop Zane from leaving. After reading his letter she realized she couldn't let him go. She realized she loved him may be too much to just let him go away. She found the first place she could to dry herself and she started running to the airport. She entered the building just in time to hear a voice announcing the flight for Romania will be leaving in a couple of minutes.  
- No, no, no, no... - she murmured and ran to find Zane and stop him before he could get on the board. She ran past the check-ins and headed upstairs to the where the passengers were waiting to get on their planes. She looked around but there were so many people she could barely see anything.  
- Zane! - she shouted hoping he would hear her and answer back, but nothing happened. She heard someone talking about Romania and turned around. She was just behind a girl who was pleading to be let to go on the plane for Romania, because was left last when everybody got on the board. Rikki tried to sneak with her but one of the security guards caught her arms not letting her go. She desperately tried to get off his grip and hissed angrily at him:  
- Let me go or I'll swear I'll burn you from the inside out! - she blurted the last words before she could stop herself.  
The eyes of the guard went wide for a second then he bursted in laughter. Feeling he lightened his grip Rikki managed to get off of him and ran through the door before anyone could stop her. She ran out just in time to see Zane's plane getting off the ground.  
- No! - she shouted as if anyone could hear her.  
She ran with all her strength but the plane was going higher and higher. Finally out of her breath she stopped running and just started after the plane with hands on her ribs.  
- I love you! - she whispered breathlessly into the air. A tear rolled down her cheek as she watched the plane disappear into the clouds and the man she was scared to love leave. - I love you! - she shouted the words this time leaving no air in her lungs.  
Zane was watching through the small window, when suddenly he saw a figure running out just when the plain started to get off the ground. His heard jumped seeing her run with his letter in one hand and the red rose in the other. He quickly stood up and shouted to the pilot to stop the plane, but it was too late. They were already getting up in the sky. Zane ran back to the window watching as she was becoming smaller. He saw she whispered something but at first he couldn't get what. Then she shouted it and he read the words on her lips "I love you!". And just before the plane disappeared into the clouds he put his hand on the small windows as if to touch her and he whispered back with a tear rolling down his cheek:  
- I love you, too!  
After his plane disappeared she ran to the water and headed straight to Mako. There she got out of the water and for the first time in her entire life Rikki Chadwick allowed the tears to beat her up just this once. Still holding his letter and his rose she put them next to her heart, ignoring the feeling of the rose' spines pricking her skin and the small drops of blood that appeared on its surface. Then she remembered the last thing he had wrote in her letter:  
_"A rose for ever after!"_...


End file.
